Barbecue Secrets

Recipe of the Week: Grilled Little Fish

This
technique works with sardines, smelts, fresh herring, or any other
smallish fish, like pan-fry-sized trout. Just make sure the fish
are scaled, gutted, and ultra-fresh. The only thing you need to
serve with these is a crisp, dry white wine.

1 lb |
500 g fresh, cleaned small fish

kosher
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

dried
oregano (or finely chopped fresh herbs of your choice)

extra
virgin olive oil

fresh
lemon wedges

finely
chopped fresh parsley

Prepare
your grill for direct high heat. Pat the cleaned fish dry with a
paper towel and place them in a nonreactive dish. Cut 3 or 4
diagonal slashes with a sharp knife, about 1/8 inch | 3 mm deep,
along each side of each fish. Season both sides with salt, pepper,
and crumbled oregano or chopped fresh herbs. Drizzle the fish with
olive oil and pat the herbs and oil into the little slashes with
your fingers.

When the grill is hot, place the fish on the grate. Cover them and
cook them for no more than a couple of minutes per side. Remove
them from the heat and season them with a little more salt
and pepper. Drizzle the fish with some more olive oil and squeeze
some lemon juice over them. Finish them with a sprinkle of the
chopped parsley and serve them with a lemon wedge and a cold glass
of wine.